Evolution is something that has shaped the world we live in today, is occurring all around us, and will continue to occur and affect us as we go through life. Making a topic like this meaningful to students is a matter of getting them to understand that scientifically speaking, evolution is the only mechanism to explain change through time. This statement includes the phrase “scientifically speaking,” and because of that it is hoped that the controversy of the topic will be kept to a minimum, undoubtedly knowing it will arise. So, as a scientist teaching in a science classroom, this unit will allow me to engage my students in the topic of evolution by being curious, asking questions, examining the evidence through a scientific lens, and exploring evolution as a topic that affects us all greatly.
In order for students to successfully understand the learning outcomes addressed in this unit, I sequenced lessons so new material builds off previous material. Developing a knowledge base on the history of the earth and the origin of life, supported by looking at the scientific evidence, we can then move on to theories of evolution that explain change through time. Once we address the theories of evolution and the mechanisms through which evolution occurs, understanding the adaptation and evolution of specific organisms will bring it all together and reinforce the significance of evolution as a whole.
Teaching in a sequential order will help students understand the concepts and apply the material, and by applying the material through activities, labs and presentations will further assist the students in making sense of the material. Continuous formative assessment of student learning through observation and inquiry, will allow me to address misconceptions and help students further understand what they may be missing. Formal assessment throughout the unit, such as quizzes, tests, and lab reports, will allow students to apply the knowledge they've learned both critically and practically, while allowing me to evaluate understanding.
Throughout the unit there are a variety of warm-up questions, activities and labs for students to complete that will help foster their inquiry. I will ask questions in the warm-up to get my students thinking about such things as explanations for the changes we see in evolution, providing evidence they find supporting evolution, and relating the concepts to their lives. Activities and labs will allow students to use their hands and manipulate possibilities when it comes to how evolution takes place and how we can identify plausible evidence.
Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to activate prior knowledge and apply past experiences to this unit through warm-up questions and inquiry activities. When my students took Earth Science as freshmen they learned about rocks and minerals, so they will be able to activate their prior knowledge about geology and apply it to new material. We will go into more detail in regards to fossils and the geologic time scale, so activating prior knowledge will allow me to identify any misconceptions and address them before they try to build on an inaccurate knowledge base. Also, in our exploration of evolution we will address population genetics and do an activity on natural selection and allele frequencies, providing students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of genetics from the month before.
In order for students to successfully understand the learning outcomes addressed in this unit, I sequenced lessons so new material builds off previous material. Developing a knowledge base on the history of the earth and the origin of life, supported by looking at the scientific evidence, we can then move on to theories of evolution that explain change through time. Once we address the theories of evolution and the mechanisms through which evolution occurs, understanding the adaptation and evolution of specific organisms will bring it all together and reinforce the significance of evolution as a whole.
Teaching in a sequential order will help students understand the concepts and apply the material, and by applying the material through activities, labs and presentations will further assist the students in making sense of the material. Continuous formative assessment of student learning through observation and inquiry, will allow me to address misconceptions and help students further understand what they may be missing. Formal assessment throughout the unit, such as quizzes, tests, and lab reports, will allow students to apply the knowledge they've learned both critically and practically, while allowing me to evaluate understanding.
Throughout the unit there are a variety of warm-up questions, activities and labs for students to complete that will help foster their inquiry. I will ask questions in the warm-up to get my students thinking about such things as explanations for the changes we see in evolution, providing evidence they find supporting evolution, and relating the concepts to their lives. Activities and labs will allow students to use their hands and manipulate possibilities when it comes to how evolution takes place and how we can identify plausible evidence.
Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to activate prior knowledge and apply past experiences to this unit through warm-up questions and inquiry activities. When my students took Earth Science as freshmen they learned about rocks and minerals, so they will be able to activate their prior knowledge about geology and apply it to new material. We will go into more detail in regards to fossils and the geologic time scale, so activating prior knowledge will allow me to identify any misconceptions and address them before they try to build on an inaccurate knowledge base. Also, in our exploration of evolution we will address population genetics and do an activity on natural selection and allele frequencies, providing students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of genetics from the month before.
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